Right Now There's A Question Existing
by Madjestic
Summary: Stephanie's life isn't what she thought it would be. It's time to make a decision, for better or for worse. (Eventual Babe HEA/ Slow Burn) A strong Stephanie/ leaving Trenton fic.
1. Four In The Morning

I stared out into the night. Rain was slowly falling, in a gentle rhythm. It fell onto the fire escape next to me with a soft _plink_.

_Wakin' up to find another day  
>The moon got lost again last night<em>

A few stars could be seen, scattered in the sky. Their light wasn't shining very bright, just small twinkles. Small in the scheme of things. Just like me.

_But now the sun has finally had its say  
>I guess I feel alright<em>

I shifted forward on the fire escape outside my apartment. Slipping my hand out into the rains domain, feeling the cool caress it gave.

_But it hurts when I think  
>When I let it sink in, it's all over me<em>

My life had been crazy for three years, ever since I started working as a bounty hunter. I couldn't regret it; I'd met some amazing people, and had some great times with them.

But I wondered if this was the way it would always be. Another car in flames, my clothes covered with another dumpster full.

I wondered if I'd ever have peace. If I would never have to worry about stalkers or people breaking into my meager apartment.

If I could ever be sure, the people in my life would never hurt me again.

_I'm lyin' here in the dark  
>I'm watchin' you sleep, it hurts a lot<em>

They all meant well, I knew that. But they still hurt me, again and again. My mother, wanting me to have a happy life like hers so much, that it was the only kind of life she could see for me.

Morelli, wanting me to be safe, not risking my life so much that he was become overbearing. The cracks in our relationship were starting to widen. Our jobs clashed, our opinions clashed. Sure we had chemistry, but I needed more. I needed the support I'd had a lack of growing up in the Burg.

_And all I know is  
>You've got to give me everything<br>Nothing less 'cause  
>You know I give you all of me<em>

Ranger. The one word sent a shiver down my spine. He supported me. Most of the time. Told me he was proud of me, helped me, rescued me when things got tough. He supported me more than anyone I know.

_I give you everything that I am  
>I'm handin over everything that I've got<em>

But he made his stance on relationships very clear. He didn't do them, and I desperately wanted one with him. Admitting it to myself had taken months.

I couldn't do things halfway with him, he meant too much to me.

_'Cause I wanna have a really true love  
>Don't ever wanna have to go and give you up<em>

If Joe and I made a committed relationship for ourselves, it was likely Ranger would just slip away from my life. Just like he came, smoke. If we gave up on our yo-yo relationship, I'd be alone.

_Stay up till four in the mornin' and the tears are pourin'  
>And I want to make it worth the fight<em>

It would be a while before we could truly just be friends, and I'd have even less support than before. Be even lonelier.

_What have we been doin' for all this time?  
>Baby, if we're gonna do it, come on do it right<em>

Ranger made me feel alive, made my body hum. He was incredibly attractive, everyone knew that. And he had the air of mystery. But I really cared about who he was underneath that.

_All I wanted was to know I'm safe  
>Don't want to lose the love I've found<em>

How he felt, what made him happy, what he enjoyed, who he was close to in the world. If he was close to anyone.

_Remember when you said that you would change  
>Don't let me down<em>

He knew everything about me. He saw through every facade I put up, every lie I told.

_It's not fair how you are  
>I can't be complete, can you give me more?<em>

I wanted him so badly, and I knew he felt something for me, hell, he said he love me, 'in his own way'. But I don't think he feels the way I do, like it's a little easier to breathe in his arms.

_And all I know is  
>You've got to give me everything<em>

I felt like an intergalactic princess with him. I felt like wonder woman when I helped him.

_Nothing less 'cause  
>You know I give you all of me<em>

I couldn't do anything but an all in relationship with Ranger, because he had so much of my heart, he could crush it in his hand. And he wouldn't even know. And I wouldn't be able to tell him, for fear he would send me away, or laugh at me.

_I give you everything that I am  
>I'm handin' over everything that I've got<em>

I wanted to be loved unconditionally. For what would feel like the first time in my life.

_'Cause I wanna have a really true love  
>Don't ever wanna have to go and give you up<em>

I wanted that feeling, that if I was going to fall, I knew for certain, without any doubt, there would be someone to catch me, and take the hurt away.

_Stay up till four in the mornin' and the tears are pourin'  
>And I want to make it worth the fight<em>

I couldn't decide if it was a mistake to reconnect with Joe. If it was a mistake even to get this close to Ranger.

_What have we been doin' for all this time?  
>Baby if we're gonna do it, come on do it right<em>

If I could back to three years ago, I still don't know what I would change. What could I? To make this mess okay.

_Oh please, you know what I need  
>Save all your love up for me<em>

I just want to be loved. I wanted to be able to fall into someone's arm at the end of the day, and let them make me forget everything. To just be with them.

_We can't escape the love  
>Give me everything that you have<em>

I want that person to be Ranger. But I'm not sure if he's just the first guy that's in my life that could fill Joe's place. I'm not sure what is wrong and right anymore.

_And all I know is  
>You've got to give me everything<em>

The rain was starting to subside. The summer night was still fairly warm, a breeze blew through the trees surrounding my apartment buildings parking lot, and the area fell silent for a moment.

_Nothing less 'cause  
>You know I give you all of me<em>

I sighed. A deep exhale of breath that carried all my fears, worries, troubles and cares.

_I give you everything that I am  
>I'm handin' over everything that I've got<em>

I stood, feeling the goose bumps spread over my skin. I shivered with the next breeze, closing my eyes and letting my head fall back.

_'Cause I wanna have a really true love  
>Don't ever wanna have to go and give you up<em>

I savored the feeling of just for a moment, being free, and enjoying the moment.

_Stay up till four in the mornin' and the tears are pourin'  
>And I want to make it worth the fight<br>What have we been doin' for all this time?  
>Baby if we're gonna do it, come on do it right<em>

_Give you all of me  
>Give you everything<br>Give you all of me_

_**-0-**  
><em>

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><p><strong>So there we have it, my first Stephanie Plum Fan Fiction. Let me know what you think, and if you think it should be continued: D Thanks for reading!<strong>


	2. Sequel: Question Existing

It was cold and it was dark and Stephanie was as miserable as the last donut left on the shelf of the bakery come closing time.

The stake out had turned up a total of zilch success so far, and to be honest, she didn't see the point of sticking around waiting for something that was never going to happen.

She stood from where she'd been crouching round the corner of a looming rusty warehouse, brushing off dirt and leaves before heading to her car. It had meant to be her last hurrah of bounty hunting, and in a way, it was so accurate and summarizing of her eventful career she could have wept.

But the time for weeping had come and gone, and she'd decided against it. She pulled out onto the near dead roads of Trenton, too late for the criminals and too early for the businessmen. The occasional hooker stood out as she drove by, but as the chilly weather continued most hadn't thought it worth their time for even the desperate slightly loony figures that were always around the rougher parts of town. The ones that Stephanie knew best unfortunately.

She never expected she'd have that behind her, meeting her own eyes in the rear-view mirror, the startling blue the only flash of colour inside the dreary cheap car she currently drove. She'd have no need for it soon, or any other POS vehicle held together by duct tape and hope.

By the time the business men rushing in their generic BMW's and Mercedes had gotten stuck in to the first paperwork of the day she would be long gone.

By the time Morelli sat his first shitty coffee of the day down on his worn desk at the TPD, she'd be gone.

By the time Lula called her to bring chicken wings, she'd be gone. (Note left behind of course, not even she was brave enough to face a Lula left out of the loop of something of this magnitude.)

By the time Ranger was through his third protein shake and only rabbit food bowl of the day (let's face it, Ranger and his men were up before the Sun dared), she would most definitely be gone.

She couldn't afford to let anyone catch her. If they did, they'd start talking. And she just didn't want to. She loved all of them with everything she had, and that was the problem.

She had nothing for herself. She weaved in and out of what everyone wanted of her, expected of her even the things they loved about her but she was exhausted. Just exhausted.

She wouldn't be forever, but right now if someone came up to her in the street and asked her what she did with her life she couldn't answer. And that was a problem.

She turned into the parking lot of her apartment, rolling smoothly to a stop for the only time she'd ever driven the heap of junk. She grabbed her bag, checking twice she hadn't left anything and the car was locked. She wouldn't be coming back.

By the time she was jogging up the stairs it was just gone four in the morning. Giving her time to pick up her stuff, set out the carefully prepared envelopes and linger for a little while, to soak in what she was giving up.

She arranged the end of her lease on the apartment, and made sure although she was avoiding to tell anyone, they wouldn't be left uniformed. They'd know what mattered. That she'd had enough, an she wanted a change. She was leaving, telling them she had no destination so not to bother seeking her out. She'd come back one day.

But right now, she needed to leave. Everything.

It's a shame then then when she shoved her sticking door open and wrangled her things through the door she noticed something wasn't quite right in the near emptily furnished apartment.

Where there should have been nothing but questionable wallpaper, there was a large muscled shadow staring back at her.


	3. A Weary Man

Joseph Morelli was a simple man.

He liked routine; coffee on his way to work, beer and football with the guys and nights spent tangled in sheets.

People often don't get what they want, he lamented, dragging his hands over his face with a sigh. He'd been awake since 3 am, at a grisly (and completely unhelpful) crime scene since four and the day was far from over yet.

There had been no sign of Stephanie for two weeks aside from relatively low level mutterings in the burg concerning which skip she was after this time and how intact her clothing was (which miraculously for once had been mostly).

They hadn't argued, there had been no fighting, no gossip machine whirling into action and no yowling whenever Lula passed his general vicinity. It was worrying.

Fobbing his car open he tried calling her before he headed for lunch. Her voice wheeled out from her voice mail, chirpily breathless tone cut off in frustration.

It was _too_ quiet.

The last time he'd seen her had been pot roast at her parents. Everything had run as usual, a lack of the worst of the drama that usually followed her but nobody had minded that. Except maybe Grandmar Mazur.

He'd visit her later, considering it was Stephanie, silence probably meant neck deep in her own trouble.

He should pick up some Maalox just in case.

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><p>Hey guys this is only a short one but there's more coming soon. Ranger's up next!<p>

My idea of finishing this is conditional. It depends if I have time or inclination. I realized a while ago maybe I wouldn't be able to finish any of these, but I promised a sequel, and I'm not quite ready to leave yet.

So I know a lot of you are very eager for me to finish this, and I have been overwhelmed with the response to the last chapter for which I am beyond grateful and thrilled.

Please don't hesitate to tell me if you can see where my writing needs some work, I'm out of practice and I was never any good anyway, but I'm giving it my best shot. I have no idea how long it will be completed, or how long it will take me, but I hope you enjoy it anyhow.

Thanks and best wishes,

Maddie

**ps. There are no major rifts between any of the characters at this point in time, I'm a bit rusty with my book knowledge and can only hope to be canon compliant up to book 15, but I will make an effort to change that if any of you wish me to. Thanks for reading!**


	4. One Card Short Of A Deck

**It's important to mention the first part is from a sort of free Lester perspective, whilst the second inches to Ranger's. I promised you Ranger next, but whats important to take away at the moment is I'm dipping and weaving to give hints of what the situation is like, and how it could develop. It's short and not necessarily any good, but it needs to happen before we get to the nitty gritty. Thanks for dropping by, and if anyone would like to volunteer to teach me about grammar, now's your chance! (I'm also working on replying to all your hugely appreciated reviews!)**

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><p>In a discreet seven floor building on Hamilton, all was peaceful.<p>

There was a low level hum, the kind that only came from constant albeit silent action. Most of the men had headed home or to their apartments in the building for the night, leaving the night crew to man the monitors and respond to call outs (which really meant hanging in the break room watching football or spinning round on wheelie chairs catching baseballs in Lester's case).

It had been a relatively boring week at Rangeman, no massive security breaches, only one new account (dull aging couple who'd barely notice if someone stole an entire house out from under their noses) , no redecorating jobs and more importantly there had been no need to collect Stephanie from a bombsite or throw a stalker out of a tenth story window.

So naturally Lester was bored beyond belief. Bored enough to go looking for trouble. He wouldn't have to if Stephanie would just drop by for a visit, then he could tease and flirt with her and Ranger would perk up like he always did whenever the Bombshell bounty hunter was within ten feet of him.

But there had been only radio silence on the Stephanie front recently, it was eerily quiet considering the mayhem that usually dogged Stephanie's footsteps like a fucking shadow. Lester shook his head, Stephanie was a tough nut, and there wasn't anybody who enjoyed retelling her stories like he did, but even he knew it took balls to keep going back and only dusting herself down briefly before diving right back in.

It was a good job she had Ranger, he dreaded to think what would have happened to Steph without her mentor. Then again he thought, leaning back in his spinning chair to peer into the tiger's office, Stephanie's luck and natural tenacious talent rivaled the trained skill of every man in the building that played fortress to Ranger's Bruce Wayne.

The man himself had been locked up tight in his office for most of the day, no one had spoken to him except Tank. He hadn't been called out, either in the field or to clients and he'd skipped the morning meeting, leaving Tank to deal out responsibilities and schedules for the coming week instead. It wasn't unusual for Ranger to sit and spend hours laboring over the masses of paperwork a business the size and nature of Rangeman created, but usually he'd come up for air or leave the building to hunt down a certain curly haired bounty hunter.

But it seemed the Stephanie silence as Lester had taken to calling it extended to Ranger also, and that bode well for a grand total of nobody. Stephanie usually guaranteed either entertainment or peacefulness or Rangeman, but now there was only a trickling tension, as if the building was holding its breath waiting or something to happen.

Waiting for what, Lester had no idea.

* * *

><p>Ranger Manoso wasn't a complicated man, but in no way could he ever be described as straight forward.<p>

Oh he could be honest, and he could be brutal. But he preferred keeping his deck to himself rather than risking a foolish slip of the hand to send cards tumbling to the floor, clear as day to whoever he was facing off.

No, keep your words few and let your actions speak for yourselves. The military doesn't just teach you how to wear your hair short.

He knew how he was perceived by those around him, either in anonymity or his current territory. He knew how to wield other people's perceptions as a tool, allowing him as much room to maneuver as he liked. He knew how to work a case to his advantage.

But there were some things that stunned him into silence. Certain blue eyed riot curled 5'7 things that he still couldn't quite figure out to handle. He figured he didn't need to either, she could handle herself, and when she couldn't her luck kicked in.

One day, her luck was going to run out. He planned on making sure he did everything in his power, used everything in his substantial arsenal to make sure she could deal with whatever got thrown her way if it ever happened.

Then again, life has a funny way of taking things out of our hands.


	5. Magnolia's Not So Bad

Tank didn't know what he was doing in Stephanie's apartment.

He felt even more out of place than usual in the sparsely furnished and dusty room, waiting up against an ugly coloured wall.

He had been trained to blend (as much as a man like Tank could) in, trained to wait, patient for his targets. He had been trained to deal with anything and everything that could happen.

No one prepared him for Stephanie Plum.

Oh sure, she wasn't really his to be prepared for, but she was the next best thing.

Ranger had been his friend for as long as Tank cared to remember. He'd never resented his friend once; for all Tank's considerable talents, Ranger was just always _more_.

So he'd been envious occasionally, Ranger had a habit of attracting good looking women like moths to a flame. But so rarely had they been anything special, built like Barbie or Beyoncé sure, but special? Not so much.

Tank had never expected anybody to turn his best friend's head for longer than a night. He could never have been more wrong.

His first experience of Stephanie Plum had been interesting. In the beginning, he and most of Rangeman believed she was just a fling, a wham bam thank you ma'am and Ranger would soon let her down, gently, if he was being kind. Otherwise he'd just vanish and so would the curly haired conservative woman.

He might have once called her meek. He couldn't help but smile at the thought, shaking his head in the still darkness. He couldn't have possibly guessed that he'd be here now, waiting for a woman that had his best friend in the palm of her dainty hand.

Tank dwarfed Stephanie in size, but no one could match her for balls and sheer force of character.

He'd seen men who were so withdrawn into themselves for what they'd had to do they couldn't even face calling their own mother light up like a fucking light bulb when she walked in the room.

When she smiled at them and took the time out of her chaotic day to sit down and ask them how they were, what they thought of the football or hockey match, hell whatever took their fancy, somehow she remembered.

She treated them like they were heroes.

He couldn't deny most people were right in their assessments; you wouldn't want to meet a Rangeman down a dark alley. He could inflict the kind of pain no one could recover from without a second thought and he'd done it.

But Stephanie looked at him like every time he helped her he'd hung the stars in the fucking sky.

Of course, it was nothing compared to the way she looked at Ranger.

As he heard the locks tumble, he told himself he'd do anything to keep Stephanie Plum safe. Not just for his brother in arms, but for the woman whose smile kept them all going.

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><p>How you all doing? Next chapter not far off :)<p> 


	6. A Dark Kitchen

Stephanie hadn't thought anyone would be in her apartment.

Stupid she knew with her track record, but she thought just this once, God would let her be. She'd been lying low for a few weeks, trying to distance herself from anyone that could see through her and might try to stop her going.

For that very reason, she'd avoided Tank especially.

Ranger often saw the world as he'd like it, not as it was. He'd look at who Stephanie was and who they could be and merely scratched the surface, building them up before letting them fall down.

Tank was a pretty quiet guy, all watching and waiting and silence. Stephanie knew he saw more than she ever wanted him to see, when her eyes were puffy and red, when her jeans were torn and bloodied, and when her clothes began to fit a little looser after all the sleepless nights.

She took in the sight of Tank, looking only slightly less menacing as her fingers flipped the light switch. He held her gaze silently, waiting to see what she'd do.

She carried on moving. She placed her meagre belongings down next to the bags and boxes that were all ready to go. Some with her, some to go anywhere _but_ with her.

Moving through to the kitchen she called out to her late night visitor. "Coffee, Tank?" she took his silence as an affirmative, noticing the slight rustle (made for her benefit, she was sure) as he made his way towards her. "Milk, no sugar, right?", standing as far away from her as he could in her non-existent kitchen he gave her a nod. She wasn't offended by Tank's silence, not anymore. She knew it was just the way he was.

She worked for a few minutes in comfortable silence knowing Tank would make know his reasons when he wanted to. She slid Tank's coffee down the counter towards him, plonking the diminished and dented milk bottle beside it. She took her own black.

"You planning on going somewhere, Stephanie?" he asked gruffly, eyes fixed on her in the dim light of the dated room.

She stared at him for a moment. "What makes you think that?" she asked.

Tank snorted. She couldn't help smiling a little at that. Sighing, she answered his question. "Yes, I guess I am"

Tank nodded thoughtfully, his coffee mug nearly entirely swallowed in his massive hands. Despite his sheer size, Stephanie had begun to think of Tank as a bit of a teddy bear, albeit not a very squishy one. On the outside at least, on the inside he had a heart of gold. He was just wary of sharing it. She couldn't blame him for that.

"You guess?" he questioned, leaning against her tiny cupboards, he looked like a giant.

She shook her head with a wry smile. "I don't know where to go. I don't want to leave" she confessed. Suddenly her eyes snapped to his, "but I can't stay, Tank. I just can't"

For a moment he stayed completely still and she worried she'd broken him by being too human. That could be a lot for a top of the line musclesaurus to take, except he then took a step towards her, and another and she began to worry maybe she shouldn't have said anything at all.

"Look Tank-" she started but he kept walking towards her until he was towering over her.

He peered down at her with eyes that gave nothing away. "You need anything, Steph? Money? Security?" he paused "travel companion?" he asked gruffly.

Stephanie stared at him surprise. He really meant it. He wasn't going to try and stop her and pull any Bombshell Bounty Hunter bullshit.

Tank chuckled at her expression. "Expect me to lock you down, duct tape and all?" he asked, smiling as she nodded dumbly.

Tank just shrugged. "Thought about it, then thought about it some more. Doesn't make sense to stop you when there's somewhere better you could be" at Stephanie's puzzled look he continued, "I've been Ranger's wingman since I met him and he's the best man I know, but he's so wrapped round you he can't see straight" Stephanie started to scoff but Tank put his hand out and shook his head as a sign for her to let him finish.

"I can see you're not happy Stephanie, and I know Morelli hasn't been making it easy for you" Tank softened at that, making sure she held his gaze before he carried on. "You've done enough for everyone else and you've done damn well but everyone has their limits Stephanie. Maybe its time you try to leave them behind and focus on yourself" he let that sit for a moment.

"That said" he added, "if you ever want to learn how to take down a guy three times your size, I'm your man" he gave her a rare blinding smile that took her breath away for a moment. He wasn't Ranger but he gave him a good run for his money.

Stephanie cleared her throat in the suddenly heavy atmosphere, subtly trying to blink away the moisture that had crept unbidden into her eyes. "I really appreciate that Tank, everything" she threw him a timid smile as she toyed with her coffee mug. "I think I'll just see where the wind takes me for now, but I hope I'll be back. Someday"

Tank nodded satisfied, leaning back against the counter. "You better hope your back before I get tired of keeping those clowns in line by myself or I'll come drag you back myself. Duct tape and all" Stephanie's tinkling laugh joined the low rumble of Tanks own, and as they toasted with chipped mismatching mugs Stephanie thought she might be able to handle the world on her own after all.

But she didn't have to.

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><p>Said soon, did I not? ;) Started this yesterday but only just finished it and am being particularly lazy about checking form, so please let me know if I've made any errors. We're just starting our journey!<p> 


	7. Operation Neptune: Part One

When the first of Stephanie's acquaintances realise she's gone, (and not gone to Macy's shoe sale gone but gone skipping over state lines like cracks in sidewalks gone), it's like a bomb has gone off.

Tank makes sure to avoid Morelli for as long as possible (not difficult, it's practically every Rangeman's MO anyway) but even he of considerable muscle and menace cannot escape Morelli's vengeful gaze. He has a few guesses as to what Morelli went over to Stephanie's apartment for, but considering he himself helped the bounty hunter clear out the last of her assorted belongings (admittedly, he fears for his health a little when Ranger discovers he was her cover up accomplice of all people) he's betting the cop did not enjoy the short note she left behind with his name scrawled in almost unintelligible script. (He loved Stephanie like a sister, and whilst he didn't mind being part of the clean-up crew when explosions occurred nobody could make excuses for handwriting that bad).

So when he was delivering a skip into the waiting hands of one Trenton police force, he wasn't all too surprised when the screech of tires in the parking lot preceded the arrival of six foot of pissed off Burg cop. Big Dog threw him a sympathetic stare for what was to come before scuttling away with his coffee. Tank resisted the urge to snort, while many of the Rangeman got on just fine with Trenton's finest, their solidarity came first and foremost to their own 'cliques' as Stephanie would call them.

He finished singing off his skip, collected his receipt and turned round in time to meet the furious stare of one Joseph Morelli, on/off boyfriend of one Stephanie Plum. Tank let the cop come to him, but stalked forward to meet him halfway so as to edge himself closer to the exit in the hopes he can remove himself from the situation in less than ten minutes. Doubtful he admits, and it's not like he didn't know what he was getting into when he offered his help to Stephanie, but he wishes it could be resolved without him having to face the ire of half the city's population. He wasn't really a talkative social butterfly guy.

The two men finally come to a halt face to face in the station, eyes swivelling to watch them without subtlety. "Morelli" Tank acknowledges the cop without dropping his stare. Morelli holds his ground, "Tank" he returned through gritted teeth (but still, Tank appreciates the attempt at civility. He doubts Ranger will be so kind)

"Saw the truck in the lot" he continues "thought you might be Ranger" Morelli seems to holding onto the ability to say Ranger's name without spitting it and Tank's impressed until he realises Morelli's statement suggests a longer more colourful follow up.

"In fact" and by the way Morelli's tone sounds merely surprised, calm and even Tank knows the cop is more pissed off than he has the words to express "I was hoping I could ask him where the hell Steph's gone"

"Oh?" Tank asks, feigning disinterested surprise and raising a single eyebrow.

Morelli doesn't seem convinced. "Yeah" he says casually as if they're discussing the weather "seems she's decided to skip out for a few days. Only her apartment is gutted of everything and anything she ever owned except her shitty furniture and she left a fucking note, saying she doesn't know where she's gone or for how long, but she wants me to know she'll be safe and not to worry about her. That it's for the god damn best"

Morelli has to take a deep breath to steady himself, reigning in the rising tone of his voice in an attempt to shake off the eavesdroppers, but Tank's positive he's just lit the Burg grapevine like a Molotov cocktail and there ain't shit he can do to fix that.

The cop steps in closer to him, hands on hips and lowers his voice. "Look, I know sometimes Ranger gets it into her head to go off on some hair-brained adventure with him but I usually at least get a fucking half-assed voicemail and this feels less like something I shouldn't worry about and more like something I should take out a mortgage on my house to pay for my Maalox bill"

Tank lets him stew for a moment, enjoying the respite from his complaints and thinking wistfully of a time before he had to deal with everyone's twenty questions because he's pretty damn sure that will be all he's doing for the next few weeks. That and crawling out of the grave Ranger puts him in.

"Yes" Tank finally says. Morelli's head shoots up with almost comically wide eyes as his under breath muttering stops dead. "She's gone out of town, but not with Ranger" he doesn't tell Morelli that the man in black has no idea as of yet that the riot curled brunettes up and vanished without a trace. It does no good to feed information to the enemy.

And of course, his Stephanie-esque wishes to a higher power to make Morelli leave it at that are worthless.

"What the hell is going on, Tank? Do not bullshit me or I swear to God…"

"What?" Tank interrupts taking step forward. "Are you threatening me, Morelli? Stephanie has left for an unknown location and time period, possibly for good if she's smart and she _is_" he emphasises this in case it's lost on the detective and takes another step forward to take him from deadlock to looming with all the advantages of his size. "And if she hasn't seen fit to tell you anything, then I see no reason to enlighten you"

Tank gives a second to satisfy himself that Morelli's expression displays the correct response to the warning he's giving.

"If you're stupid enough to try and hunt her down, or to make the mistake of bringing this up with Ranger you will regret it, Morelli" taking advantage of Morelli's frozen form he begins moving towards the door, stopping to parse one more piece of advice because he's almost as tired of this bullshit as Stephanie was.

"Not because of me, not because of Ranger but because Stephanie made the decision to trust you" he pauses, knowing the entire station is listening in and the minuscule chances of Ranger not finding out until he's on the other side of the globe have evaporated into ashes and dust that are blowing on the winds of gossip as the news revealed spreads like wildfire.

"If you break that trust by ignoring whatever she's seen fit to tell you, I suggest you never seek her out again. Hell hath a woman scorned" and with a grin he knows is as terrifying as it is mocking he departs the station.

For once the bombshells metaphorical and all are delivered by someone other than Stephanie, even if they are still of her making. Stepping into the humid day, shades sliding back into place he takes in a breath and exhales with a sound of satisfaction.

They say if you're going to take a band aid off you should rip it.

His own personal experience of this comes from duct tape and 'interviews', but he figures it's apt nonetheless.

He has a promise to keep after all, and a good soldier always follows orders.

**Lester **

When Lester swings into Vincent Plum Bail Bonds whistling and carrying a suitably large box of donuts in one hand; he does not expect the kerfuffle that receives him.

And when he uses the word kerfuffle, it is an entirely accurate description. (Seriously, he didn't know Lula could cluck; like a _chicken_).

"Woah woah woah, ladies. What's going on here?" he calls over the ruckus. They pause, blink at him owlishly like they checking who it is before the chaos erupts again.

So he whistles. A sharp, _loud_ trill that demands they fall in line and _calm the fuck down_. Jesus.

He knows it's a risk to put himself willingly in Stephanie's 'co-workers' way but he thought he'd just stop by, see if he could hang shotgun with Steph for the day whilst also keeping an eye on her and earning himself some amnesty from Ranger. The Seychelles are nice this time of year and Lester is sure there's some nice real estate to be seen. He's very fond of architecture. The human kind, best found in female form.

He shakes that thought away, registering that in the midst of his self-monologue his whistle did the trick.

He focuses on Connie, knowing it's his best shot at a rational answer. "What the hell happened?"

Connie shrugs (and if he takes a second to notice it jiggles her assets that's his business). "We think Stephanie might have been kidnapped by some psycho again" and then she sits down and resumes filing her nails like she hasn't said anything, leaving Lester open mouthed and panicking.

He's about to run through his mental checklist of 'shit Ranger would want him to do' when Lula helpfully squawks "She's left us. She up and abandoned us like an orphan in one of those sad films. Y'know the musical ones? I ain't much for theatre. I bet I'd be good at show tunes though, I got the grace for them fancy dance routines"

Lester leaps at the chance to prevent Lula ever demonstrating this for him, he's sure it's just magical except it will more likely be horrific.

"What do you mean she _left_? Like she's gone out for skips for the day?" he begins to relax as he realises this has all just been some big mistake developed from Lula's mad tendencies to overreact.

"No!" Lula screamed at him (he did not flinch dammit) "She gone, _gone_. Like not home for dinner gone. Like gone with the wind, gone. And she ain't coming back" with that Lula flings a missile at him that he just barely manages to catch before it collides with his nose. (He feels little shame at this, there are no words for how dangerous a weapon Lula could be in the wrong hands. He tends to sleep with one eye open as it is.)

He realises the missile is a screwed up paper ball, and frowning he tries to unravel it to read the scrawled writing. At first he thinks it's a children's before he realises he knows that impossible to read chicken scrawl. Lester feels dread and horror sink through every single last one of his pores as he realises what he's reading.

He barely registers Lula's shout of "Hey is that donuts?!" swallowing hard he shoves the box in her direction before making for the door, paper clutched in his now sweaty hand.

Connie yells after him a thought that Lester's trying very, very hard not to think about.

"What's Ranger gonna say about all this?"

What indeed.

* * *

><p><em>Hey guys! Sorry to have kept you waiting for this one, I finished the majority of it months ago but it's been a ridiculous year of stress and misery so I paused for a while. I was quite hasty with my checks of spelling and grammar and general stuff so if there are any mistakes do let me know! <em>

_Notes - I actually have no idea what the Seychelles is like at various times of year, and I didn't check my own timeline (I know I'm terrible!) so I can't remember what time it is at this point in the story as it's not terribly important yet. _

_Also, the vague references Lula makes to musical theatre with orphans could be taken as Annie if you wish. _

_Thank you for your readership, interest and patience! :D I can never thank you enough for all your kind reviews that blow my mind! Thank you so much!_

**N_e_xt Chapter - Mrs Plum and the burg and Ranger! **I split the chapter into two and will explain that and the title in the next chapters notes, and in the next chapter we will also finally be taken over by Stephanie for the majority of the story for now on.


	8. Operation Neptune: Part Two

**Mrs Plum**

Helen Plum liked routine. She liked having food on the table at the just so time, the laundry and ironing all done in good, reasonable time. One must be presentable for polite company at all times. Dithering was unacceptable (as was the obscenities of her deranged mother but Helen did not like to dwell on things that made her feel positively ill and consequentially reach for that sneaky bottle of Jack Daniel's hidden beneath the sink).

Helen Plum especially disliked surprises.

Even more so, Helen Plum despised and downright dreaded surprise that involved her daughter.

Not her normal, happily married with appropriate number of children (admittedly one born out of wedlock and by two different fathers after a divorce, but still) daughter.

The other one.

The troublesome one who insisted on giving her mother heart attacks and a life filled with anxiety and sneaky sips of Jack Daniels whilst she nervously awaited whatever news filtered through the grapevine before she could do damage control (honestly it was like Stephanie didn't care for appearances at all).

It wasn't that Helen Plum didn't love her daughter; she just wished she perhaps might seek employment at the button factory rather than with her suspicious cousin, that Vincent (not her side of the family mind, that is a very important distinction) or even settled down with that nice boy Joseph.

He was quite the catch, even if his family were somewhat of a thorn in Helen's side as well as her worst competition. A marriage between her daughter and Joseph would be the 'burg equivalent of a Disney film. Reformed bad boy with a heart of gold rescues wayward princess from herself. Perfect! Helen could see it all working out in such simple and wonderful fashion.

But it was not to be. So far.

(Helen would live in hope until the day she died. Or Stephanie was married and settled down. So the day she died was persistently and considerably more likely).

And so Helen spent her days measured in sighs and hourly throwing her eyes up to the ceiling and praying for some kind of miracle (such as her mother to stop visiting those shops and wearing lyrical for heaven's sake). Or hoping Stephanie would come over to dinner and she would bring some kind of gentleman friend and not the smell of burnt hair and Molotov cocktails.

She did not expect to spend her Monday catching up to the burg grapevine on her own daughter.

She particularly did not except to find out about her elopement in Giovanni's. (Honestly she popped out for five minutes, what on earth could Stephanie have done in the five minutes she had left the house where all was well and there were no mutterings bout the Plum girl?)

But it was certain.

And once all the tittering busy bodies had swivelled to stare at her dead on with eyes of judgement, the situation got ten times worse.

"I heard the news about Stephanie" the voice was pleasant, airy. Disinterested.

Oh she was no such thing.

Helen turned to stare at her rival and occasionally partner in crime. Mrs Morelli.

Helen could see past the sympathetic look her lips were twitching not to turn into a smile.

"What about Stephanie?" sensing that there was no good news to be had (when was there ever?) it didn't occur to her to school her reaction as she usually did. She was too busy trying not to hyperventilate and keep hold of her grocery basket now slipping in her slack grip.

"That's she's left Trenton of course, I'm sure you must have known. Obviously she wouldn't have left without telling you would she?" Mrs Morelli was no longer bothering to hide the mirth in her eyes. "Do tell me what she's been up to when she gets back, we all love to hear about what's happening with that dear girl. Well, I best go; afternoon!" and with a chipper wave she was gone.

The thudding of her pulse was loud enough to drown out her surroundings, and this was usually the point where she rushed to get out of the judging eyes of the community she worked so hard to be a pillar of.

But her stomach tied in knots as she tried to swallow a growing sense of dread.

Her barely filled basket fell to the ground with light thump, left forgotten as she flew out to the car.

She and Stephanie had their differences, but she wouldn't leave for any amount of time without letting her know not to worry first, right?

Not that it wasn't like her, but this didn't feel like the other times.

Stephanie had been more reserved and had visited less these past few weeks, Helen had just thought her and Joe were on another break and she was avoiding them.

What if this were more final?

It didn't bear thinking about.

**Ranger (Tank POV)**

In the end, Tank didn't get any warning whatsoever.

Sitting in his office, grumbling to himself as he worked through paperwork for what felt like hours he was just considering stepping out to the break room to get a sandwich for lunch when a commotion caught his ears.

Rolling his eyes, he stretched as he stood from his chair, thinking it was probably just Lester causing trouble as always.

It was, but what Tank didn't know yet as Lester was just about to turn a bad situation nuclear.

Rangeman was all sleek lines and neatly ordered cubicles. Calm. Efficient. Practical.

Nothing unnecessary or distracting.

Which is why it wasn't so much a surprise that when Tank reached his doorway, he saw Ranger doing the same in his own office. The two shared a silent look that spoke volumes about the behaviour of their resident annoyance slash comic wannabe.

Turning instead to survey the situation, Tank saw that in his haste to get back to his cubicle from wherever he'd left this morning he'd run into Blinkie who'd been carrying not only a stack of folders, but also a fresh, steaming cup of coffee.

It was a mess.

Blinkie had obviously yelled out in surprise at the collision, before asking Lester what the hell he was up to. Usually Lester would snap back with some sassy comment that would get his ass sent to the gym by Ranger but this time he was fussing, wide eyed and tense, shoulders bunched as he jittered restlessly, moving forwards and backwards as if he couldn't decide where he was going. His eyes kept swiveling from side to side but when he caught sight of Ranger he visibly flinched.

Tank saw the man in question raise an eyebrow before he said quietly but firmly, "Enough".

Lester stilled. Purposefully looking towards Tank with an almost begging look that Tank had no clue what to do with.

It wasn't like Lester to get shaken (hell, it wasn't like any of them to get shaken) or be wary unless something had happened to Stephanie.

Stephanie.

Oh shit.

And then he realises he made a noise at the revelation that the others must have also come to but don't yet realise the significance of.

As all eyes in the room fixated on him, Tank swallowed, his throat tight and closing more and more with the absolute dread of what he knew was coming next.

Ranger's face was now showing an expression which could only be his version of incredulousness. "What is going on here?"

Tank held Lester's gaze as the other man visibly pulled himself together as if preparing for a blow.

"It's Stephanie"

Tank stepped forward at the words as if by getting closer to Lester he could prevent the inevitable but stopped at a look from Ranger who was now a whole lot tenser than he'd been a minute ago.

Lester exhaled, his whole body slumping as he turned to face his boss dead on. Like a man standing before a noose.

"She's gone"

Ranger didn't bat an eyelash. "Gone where?"

"She's just gone"

"Was she taken?" The _again_ was voiced in all their heads, it wasn't exactly an unusual occurrence for Stephanie as sad as that was, but now Ranger was getting impatient. He'd slowly stepped forward to crowd Lester in leaving him no way to escape.

"She's gone gone. Left Trenton gone. Left Lula and Connie a note" Lester's shaking hand shoved forward the crumpled paper in question as Ranger took it from him slowly and he continued. "Says she's gone and she ain't coming back and we ain't gonna find her"

Silence.

Tank could have sworn he heard multiple men inhale sharply at Lester's words.

Tank couldn't breathe, his heart had frozen to ice. He could have sworn his pulse has halted in that god damn silence.

And he knows. He knows exactly what's going to happen next because it's Standard Operating Procedure and damn it for once he tried to play the nice guy.

"Who was the last person to see her?" Ranger's tone is deafening. He doesn't raise his voice. He doesn't lose his temper. He just stands there quietly.

And with a sudden clatter of keys and wheels rolling to break the silence it's Vince who rushes to answer Ranger's request because he's on monitor duty today. But it's not Vince he's worried about, though he's sure the man in question can feel Ranger's gaze like a gun barrel pressed to his head.

Vince suddenly halts, no more noise, no more movement, before his eyes traitorously flicker towards Tank.

It does not escape Ranger's notice, his eyes narrow infinitesimally as Tank tries to keep his expression as blank as he always did.

No such luck.

"Who was it?"

Vince coughs. "Er, this morning Boss. Early hours, approximately 2AM." He still doesn't say it. Tank is a little impressed that his voice hasn't wavered.

"Who?" Ranger barks, his composure finally breaking as his fist curls around the note she'd left. Had it really been just a note? Or was it a death sentence?

"Vehicle seven, Sir. It was…." And now Vince's voice does waver and Tank gets the overwhelming urge to run for the first time in a long time. Because he knows now. There is no way that he doesn't know.

"It was Tank"

There. He's said it.

Ranger's eyes cut to Tank like a missile target locking system, and he feels his organs beginning to shut down one by one in the vain hope it will save him from the ordeal to come.

He hopes Stephanie's a long way gone by now.

* * *

><p><em>And here the ride begins! <em>

_Hope you all liked it, but I'm very excited about the next parts because they are far more interesting! Though Stephanie will be very OOC so I'm warning you now!_

_Next Chapter is called_ _**Gone Girl, **and we see Stephanie leaving and through her time away from Trenton before she returns. The next chapter will probably end up quite a bit longer than previous ones as it's still in progress now. _

_Thank you all so much for your response to my last update! I'm currently working my way through replying to reviews, and I cannot stress how much I appreicate all your support and how happy it makes me that people are enjoying this. I split this chapter because I wanted to get it out sooner to you guys but I wanted to be thorough and still write the bits I didn't like so much before I do the fun bits.  
><em>

_**Note:** The title Operation Neptune refers to the codename for the initial assault phase of the D-Day landings of the allied forces in June/July in 1944 during World War 2 (the overall operation was codenamed Operation Overlord). I came across this tidbit a while ago and as I had been thinking of the day Steph left as 'D-Day' that it was quite fitting. It is also the centennial anniversary of the beginning 1st World War this year, and I thought it would be nice to keep those from both World Wars in our thoughts. _


	9. Gone Girl

**Warning!**: **This chapters contents and its characters begin to veer from canon and become very OOC. Stephanie becomes darker than you've known her, so if that's not your thing best to leave now. There is also plenty of indirect speech and time hopping. **

* * *

><p>Truthfully, Stephanie leaves Trenton like she does most things.<p>

With 12% of a plan and 88% hopeful thinking.

Although she hadn't planned for it she's glad that Tank's right there with her as she moves to put things in motion.

She's already taken care of money and bank accounts (not that there was much to take care of in the first place). She's taken the coward's easy way out with notes for various people of significance, telling herself this way it seems more temporary, like she could come back at any moment if the mood strikes her.

This is a lie.

She knows she may not be back for a long time.

She also knows there's a good chance she may never come back at all.

Her knowledge of the habits of skips and little pieces she's picked up here and there from working with Rangeman has been exceptionally useful.

Even better is having Tank there to dispel any foolish notions she may have had and to focus on the important things, where she may go, what she might do.

Tank points out that getting out of Trenton is only the beginning of a solution, and there's more at work here that she needs to fix.

"You should take the opportunity for everything that you can. I can give you a few names, numbers. People that Ranger's not regularly in contact with"

Ah. Ranger.

Whilst Steph's under no delusions about their relationship (or lack of), she knows there's no way in hell Ranger's gonna let her go so easy.

"Once you leave, you've got hours tops before flags start to come up. You're lucky I'm in the know and not the one to raise the alarm" his large grin has the desired effect of making her laugh. She knows Tank is worried about how she's taking everything he's throwing at her.

Glancing at the clock on the wall she knows they've got perhaps another hour before she's got to hit the road and there's still so much they haven't gone through.

"I know I'm lucky. How long 'til somebody tries to search for me?" Tank stares at her for a minute, not at all fooled by the fact that 'somebody' means _Ranger_.

"Ranger's not expecting this in the slightest. We've been busy lately, you've been relatively safe and Morelli's been relatively reasonable. There's no need for him to worry" Tank jots down some more digits on the notepad that's to be her new bible. She waits for the _but_ she knows is coming.

"That being said, Ranger _always_ worries about you. He's not just going to accept a note saying you're off on a jolly adventure and there's no need to freak out, you'll send postcards" at this Stephanie looks guilty at the set of envelopes laid out on the table before them.

She sighs, "I know. I just can't do this to their faces. I'd never make it to the city limits let alone another state"

"Hey" Tank says, using his pointer finger to lift her chin and catch her eye. "You're gonna do this okay? You're gonna get outta here and do what you need to do and ain't nobody gonna stop you. You've got me and I'm going to make sure you have nothing to worry about even if it gets me killed" Tank's tone is soft and the low rumble of his voice is comforting enough that she relaxes.

He continues, "and you're gonna call me at even the slightest whiff of trouble you get, aren't you?" his stare is more meaningful but still gentle, and she can tell under the gruffness he genuinely is worried about her being on her own.

She places her hand over his still clutching that pen, "Of course I will. You've done so much for me Tank I-"

"None of that" he cuts her off, taking back his other hand and placing it over hers like she was made of glass. "We're going to make certain there are no holes in this half assed plan of yours and you're going to carry it out like soldier. I'm your new CO and you're going to thrive, you hear me?

* * *

><p>Tank was right. She did thrive.<p>

She's not sure this is quite what he meant though.

* * *

><p>Stephanie makes it out of Trenton just fine. The days beginning to break and she's certain half of Rangeman is now up and around.<p>

It doesn't make a difference.

She hugs Tank goodbye, his arms tight enough around her she finds it a little difficult to breathe. It's nice to know somebody cares, unreservedly.

Steph's originally plan had been to drive out of the city in her POS car before dumping it and making her way forwards through public transport before she bought another car cash in hand.

Tank had given extra money despite her protests ("Think of it as a rainy day fund, Steph. This is a rainy day").

It wasn't a rainy day, it was beautiful. Blue sky and the sun beaming down on her so that the sunglasses she wore were not at all out of place.

So Tank drove the POS car, and he was the one who dumped it. They part ways at a non-descript service station and she makes her own way.

It begins.

* * *

><p>Through the months that follow she travels mostly on buses, hopping and criss-crossing across states always using cash wherever she goes.<p>

She keeps her old cell, though she never turns it on. She gets a cheap cell she doesn't mind losing, changing it every so often just to be sure.

Nobody finds her.

She has no idea if they're trying.

She's not sure which option is harder to swallow.

* * *

><p>At the one month anniversary of her departure she sent Tank a postcard from Michigan. She's never stepped foot in numerous states in her life and Michigan's one of them. Nothing to suggest she might visit. She gets a small kick out of sending a post card remembering their conversation and imagining him rolling his eyes once it reached him.<p>

Everywhere she travels she takes the opportunity to look around the area as much as possible, check out the sights. Occasionally she'll take on work for a week or a few days or so. Nothing permanent. All cash in hand of course.

Tank had also given her a fantastically real looking fake ID under the name Hannah Gilbert. Hannah Gilbert has a driving license and a passport. She also has a library card for an address in Washington DC.

She tells people she's travelling.

She never gets an answer from her postcards.

Then again she's not expecting to.

At the sixth month mark she takes the risk of phoning Tank. She's still got some money left thanks to the part time work she's been doing, but soon she'll have to settle. She's made plans with one of the names Tank had left her and soon she'll head to Colorado.

But first she needs to talk to Tank.

Tank breathes a sigh of relief at the sound of her voice, and even though she reminds him of the postcards his tired voice tells her "It's not the same, Steph"

She asks him not to tell her what's happened in her absence. Just as long as he friends and family are all safe, healthy, happy. Tank still sounds tense when he reassures her everyone's fine, though Lula's still flies into a rage at the sound of her name and all of Rangeman avoids Morelli like the plague for reasons Tank won't explain. Just like she asked.

It's not that she doesn't miss everybody or that she doesn't care anymore, it's just that her old life seems so very far away now. She can't afford to let herself think of home lest she breaks and goes running back with her tail between her legs.

Tank starts to talk about Ranger before she cuts him off, "he's okay isn't he? Still eating rabbit food and all right?" she laughs nervously. The silent pause that follows makes her entire body feel cold.

"He's ok. Sorta, look its complicated-" he breaks off with a frustrated huff and Stephanie feels her heart break a little more at the trouble she's caused him.

"I should never have asked you to do this" she says quietly.

"No" Tank comes back immediately at that "You didn't ask me Stephanie, I volunteered. You're heading to James, right?"

Colorado, right. Michael James formerly a US Navy SEAL, now operating out of Colorado providing extreme sports as well as defensive and offensive training.

Basically the guy who's supposed to turn her into Rocky-the-Mini-Version.

"Yep" she tries for cheerful, but doubts it comes across that way.

"Then go. James is a good guy, I spoke to him before you left, warned him he better be good to you or I'd pay him a visit"

She hangs up and immediately moves away from the payphone and on to her bed of the night trying to ignore the tears falling silently down her cheeks.

* * *

><p>She wakes the next day, taking a shower to freshen up and ready to start the day by six. Being on her own has changed her schedule dramatically. She has no need to be anywhere or see anyone other than making progress.<p>

It's because she's wandered to a little coffee shop down the road from where she's staying that she sees the familiar black uniform exiting the very place she was heading to.

Making no move to hide other than tugging her ball cap a little more she watches him with her heart pounding. She doesn't recognise him, which means he must be a new recruit. It hits her then just how much time has passed since she last saw Ranger.

She's beginning to relax as surely this man has no idea who she is, (although knowing her reputation the chances aren't good) but she's fairly confident he at least has no idea what she looks like. Her hair is chemically straightened, died dark and in a choppier, shorter style than it was. Convenience is a must.

She's never stopped strolling throughout these thoughts; normality is the best disguise, and now convinced this man is definitely not here for her let alone aware of her existence she even considers continuing into the coffee shop as planned.

It doesn't happen that way.

It feels like time slows down impossibly as she catches the bounce of light of the glossy photograph clutched carefully in the man's hand. Another man in black crosses from her side of the street mere metres away (how had she not seen him?) and shakes his head at the others question.

The first pulls out a cell phone and recites a string of sentences that sound so achingly familiar to what she once knew.

She dares to cross the street to the coffee shop. It's populated even at this time in the morning and she _needs to know_.

A black SUV pulls closer, a rental judging by the sticker on the rear and both men make a move toward it, but not before she sees the photograph as she passes by into the welcoming warmth and aroma of coffee.

She swallows down her adrenaline as she waits patiently in line.

She orders a Cinnamon Dolce Latte. Pays the cashier with a smile and a thank you.

Then she _runs_.

* * *

><p>The day passes in a whirlwind rather than the calm pre-travel day she'd planned.<p>

Her new identity has no links whatsoever to her old life. Not a single name was similar to those of her own or her families.

She packs and makes haste like the Devil is on her tail.

At this point she's been travelling by car, a beat up import that's completely unremarkable in a dull colour, bought from someone she'd met in a bar while toiling as a bartender. She's incredibly grateful for it now, driving through the rest of the day, the evening and then some to get to get to where she needs to be.

She berates herself every single mile for calling Tank.

She can't bring herself to regret it.

* * *

><p>Eventually she makes it to Hinsdale County, Colorado.<p>

James's place is accessed only by a long trailing dirt track miles from civilisation and is nearly entirely surrounded by forest. The area is sparsely populated and the terrain makes for a wonderful training ground.

James, or Michael as she comes to call him, is a good guy. A great one, in fact.

He makes no reference to Tank or Ranger or anyone else they may have in common.

He asks no questions.

That's good. She gives no answers.

They get along well, training day and night through the days, weeks. She begins to like being cut off a little from the world and the pretty non-existent chances anyone will look for her here.

She tries not to think about what it means that Ranger, or at least Rangeman, is still looking for her in some capacity.

And as the days grow colder so does she.

* * *

><p>At first the training is hellish.<p>

Michael tries to treat her like a new recruit, and is distinctly unimpressed by her lack of skill.

He is however, wholeheartedly impressed and surprised by her ability to improvise. She means this quite literally.

The first time she lands him on his back with no way of escape, she's consumed with adrenaline. Weeks of frustration and agony, at the worst of times tears as James took pity and tried to assure her she'd get there, it wasn't like she wasn't trying, she just had to keep going.

On this grey day in November she can feel the cold in her bones, her fingers and toes are numb, the wind is biting and they'd been up since before the daylight began to sink through. It's been drizzling for hours and there's no ounce of warmth to be found in her clothes, dark skinny jeans and a long sleeved shirt that's now tracked with mud and dirt that she can also feel under her nails.

Michael had made sense when he'd told her she may not always be dressed suitably for whatever may come at her. You fight with you have and ignore what you don't.

Her high ponytail is tight and painful, her frustration at the situation is chomping at the bit and okay, she's a little homesick. After the Watertown debacle she cut herself off completely, no phone calls, no emails and no mysterious letters. Only postcards with the two letters O.K. at the end of every month and as before sent from a roundabout trip hours from anywhere she's staying.

Michael looks up at her with no smiles, no words of pride, just a nod, which considering his position in the dirt is quite good of him anyway.

It takes her a minute to back off, realising she'd been holding herself over him like a taut bow string, teeth bared with her weight pressing down on his shoulders and arms, limbs entangled in such a way that an attempt to break out of her hold would result in at best, a dirty fight, and at worst asphyxiation.

She steps away shaking afterwards and he throws an arm around her shoulders as he guides her into his by comparison luxurious cabin with the lure of hot cocoa and cake.

She's forgotten what she used to eat.

She's not sure who she used to be.

* * *

><p>Michael and her make a much better effort to get on with each other after that. On occasion he's made Ranger look forthcoming but now he merely shares stories with her in front of the fire providing the only light in the room. She tells him about her own past.<p>

She admits why she's running.

He tells her it's ok. He tells her it's understandable. Some people aren't meant to be some things. She's strong, she'll figure it out.

* * *

><p>With a rush of what feels like relief she realises he's right.<p>

They pass Christmas together quietly but snugly, tucked away but no worse off for it. Stephanie's improving by the day, no longer afraid of the tools of her trade and taking to everything Michael gives her like duck to water. He tells her he's not sure what else has to teach her. Tells her she's glad she came to him.

The buzz of worries and stress she used to carry around is gone from her mind. Her thoughts vacant of the simultaneous yearning and hurt she'd often felt around both Ranger and Morelli. That sickening yo-yo of are-we-are-we-not. Her mind is quiet now, she feels less guilty as the days pass with her thinking less and less of home.

She's lost those few stubborn pounds she used to carry around, and months of unsure living have turned her lean; honing her curves with a light layer of muscle so now her deceptively trim physique does not belie the damage it can do. She admires the play of muscle and bone under her skin in front of the mirror of Michael's guest room, recognising it as the power she now owns. It cannot be taken away from her.

She is vulnerable no more.

Michael is the first person she sleeps with after Trenton. It's different than before. Not that he's unattractive; his skin is tanned from hours spent outdoors; his build resembles Lester in height and litheness with a little extra muscle. Light brown hair forms soft bristly spikes kept short and green eyes make for an overall very enticing package.

He is not a man built for comfort, but for satisfaction of the soul.

She appreciates it.

* * *

><p>It's not long after Christmas that they part ways. Michael suggests she go to an acquaintance in London.<p>

It's a marker of how much she's changed that she barely hesitates.

She misses those days filled with nothing but the burn of muscle and rasp of breath as they tussled between trees and in rivers and wherever else they could find.

But now she's addicted to the rush, and if cities are drugs then London is Cocaine.

* * *

><p>London is much grittier than it looks on the television. She'd been led to believe it was glittering and glamorous and that pretty much everyone spoke like the Queen.<p>

It has a dark side and they meet pretty soon after her new teacher, Angelo, decided he'd taught her enough about the art form of weaponry combined with skill and grace and that she'd better off providing security for those who wanted a subtle approach.

With her lithe build, and now longer hair down to her waist (she knows it's a liability but she can't help herself) in gentle waves a shining, glossy version of her natural colour and her general appearance of good health. She appears unthreatening; the high and wealthy lap her up.

She looks more youthful now (and oh how she loves it) full of vitality and energy. She plays with their children, chats aimlessly with the women and rebuffs the advances of men with a smile.

Considering they work in twos, her partner Leo of Hispanic descent and military background is taken as the real bodyguard. She's the middle ground to them.

When she proves that she's not, they no longer smile back at her.

The wealthy couple she work for have two children and live out of a townhouse in Kensington. When the mother is taken and a ransom is demanded or the threat of bodily harm, Stephanie feels only the thrill of the chase as they follow the breadcrumbs of a small time mob like operation.

Despite his military background, Leo has actually worked for these kind of people before. He is in short, a mercenary. When she learns this she doesn't react, just watches him carefully, knowing life is never black and white, only shades of grey. Ranger had taught her that.

He'd want her to be safe.

Stephanie's hands are still clean when she methodically takes out their targets guard and delivers a round kick to the face of the man holding a gun to her employer.

Guns aren't as easy to get hold of in Britain as they are in America, but they're plentiful in London.

She doesn't know what it means that she's proud she took down seven men on her own with no firearm.

And so she begins to carry dainty and light but entirely deadly knives at all times.

She knows Ranger prefers a 2:1 gun knife ratio, but she likes it just fine the other way round. She worked hard to be good with her body, she's not giving it up easily.

She may have drawn blood, but she's not maliciously maimed or killed a man yet. There are still lines of morality.

She no longer sends post cards.

She tells herself it's because overseas shipping costs too much.

It's now just one in a string of lies.

* * *

><p>She still speaks to Michael occasionally and at the year and half mark she heads back across the ocean for home turf, but not for Trenton.<p>

Angelo has told her of work in South America and her previous colleagues, if that was what they were, had had some experience there. They told her it would pay decently, and she'd live in comfort. They didn't elaborate on what sort of work it might be.

Michael shrugs when she tells him and says, "I've heard of it. Not bad if you keep your head down, just watch out for the spider"

At his cryptic statement she is puzzled. "The spider?"

He shakes his head. "No one I've ever met knew his name. He's a ghost, but a strong one at that. Rumour has it he may head up one of the larger crime organisations. Few pies he hasn't got his fingers into. You be careful" he tips his fingers under her chin and says no more about it as they dig in to dinner.

* * *

><p>Michael needn't have bothered warning her. As always, she ended up right where she shouldn't have been at exactly the wrong moment.<p>

It's somewhat worrying that she's comforted by this good old Stephanie behaviour in the light of its repercussions.

And this is how she meets Alejandro.

* * *

><p><em>Okay so I'm so so nervous about posting this, I pored over hours of writing and editing worrying if it's too dark or if departs from the rest of the story's more humourous tone too much and I know there's a lot left unsaid but I'm saving those tidbits for later in an attempt of dramatic suspense. Please do tell me if you love it hate it, I can always tweak it to make it fit better. <em>

_Your reviews have all been so lovely to read and I've nearly finished replying to all of them. If we reach the 100 mark with this chapter I might actually cry. _

_**Chapter Notes**: I have little to no concept of the USA's geography so I apologise for what I'm sure are many mistakes. I have also breezed over technical details in this chapter, some which i will come back to, some not. Some locations in this fic are based on real areas (like Hinsdale county) but are almost entirely a work of fiction. Please do not take this as a work of fact as despite the research I did for this chapter it is still very rudimentary. _

_Thanks once again, and hello to all my new readers, it's an absolute delight to have you guys along with me for this ride, hope you enjoy!_

**At this point it has been a year and a half since Steph left, Next chapter she explains everything to us in more detail and you'll learn about Alejandro who plays a key role in this fic but is entirely a work of my creation. When Stephanie returns she will have been gone for roughly three years. **


	10. The Return

**_Flash Forward 3 years after Stephanie left_**

**_The Return_**

Stephanie is incredibly wary at the thought of stepping back into Trenton.

She is no longer filled with fear in the way she once was, no longer holding onto a battered and dogged determination to avoid her problems.

She is still the same old Stephanie she once was – but better.

Her life used to be filled with questions, sitting on fire escapes questioning her life in the middle of the night. Now she has answers; answers that make her feel confident in who she is and what she's capable of.

She strived to improve her knowledge, wellbeing and ability and she has achieved more than she ever thought possible. With the help of people she never guessed she'd meet, and a life she never saw for herself in a million years, but isn't that always the way.

"Perimeters secure. You want me to call the man?" Rhodey appears beside her to ask. Former US marine Rhodes. A crack shot, but best found in the middle of the action. Hand to hand ability unrivalled, failure rate non-existent and some form of morality to boot.

Most importantly, he's loyal to a fault.

_Alejandro's_ men experience their longest life expectancy when they are loyal. When they are greedy and filled with avarice it never bodes well for them.

"No. I'll do it. Check on James, make sure he's good for tonight. No need to push our luck" she turns to look at Rhodey in time to catch his nod, grateful for his brilliance at following orders as he swiftly moves towards a huddle of their operatives.

Still, she remembers a Rhodey who didn't follow orders so easily, and the whispers he left behind when a man who thought he could call the shots crossed a line beyond what Rhodey called 'morally grey'.

She and Ranger had fewer differences then they'd ever had.

Slipping her phone out of the back pocket of her dark jeans she began to dial the number branded into her mind whilst remembering the day she met Rhodey. Dark skinned, tall, with a grin to die for and a sense of humour to break a rib. He was lither than you might expect, but it in no way led to a deficiency in power. Rhodey was one of her best. And her favourites, though she never let on.

Everyone who followed her word believed she appreciated his efficiency. She suspected Alejandro amused himself at the thought of an attachment to the type of person she swore she'd never bring herself to trust again.

People in this business always did it for at least some degree of self-serving interest, if not entirely selfish reasons. Herself included. Ever since she left Trenton she made sure she would never be stuck somewhere she couldn't escape ever again.

Bringing her phone to her ear as she surveyed her surroundings the dial tone beginning to spill from the speakers as she waited. Once. Twice. Seven times, _click_.

So he was feeling generous tonight.

"Perimeter is secured. We're waiting for the show" she reported, watching as she spoke the splay of headlights across the tarmac and the growl of an engine outside the dark warehouse she stood in. From where she was positioned she had a view of the new arrivals, the positioning of multiple of her own men as well as the light cast across the neighbouring river by the full moon in clear view.

It really was a beautiful night to be working on.

"Let me know as soon as you have something" a pause. "Are you going to see them?"

She played dumb. "See who?"

A low chuckle in rely. Her name, nearly sing-songed in that low gravelly voice, light with amusement (so he was in a good mood, everything else was running smoothly in motion) but still quiet, reserved.

Never an ounce wasted with Alejandro, the man was a lean, sharp blade. Never an inch to be gained unless it came out of your own flesh.

For someone reason she liked the bastard.

"Of course. It would be hard to avoid" she kept her eyes on the men stepping out of the vehicle to meet her own, listening to the slow click of her heels as she strolled further towards the warehouse entrance, and her purpose of the evening.

"Oh I don't know. A woman of your skills, surely there are ways" she heard the sound of footsteps ricocheting over the line. So not at his shadowed, mahogany coated study then. Out on the streets, prowling through bars full of unaware patrons. Probably a cigarette dangling from his fingers, not cigars on a night like this, when he's on his own and dangerous. He's not a man to waste a good cigar.

She makes sure to make a mental note of what he's (willingly) revealed; for all she knew he could be on US soil. Just because she had entrusted herself to the man did not mean she placed any faith in him other than what she needed him for.

"Is that a compliment?" she inquired lightly. She was not above keeping him talking to serve her own desire for information. The pleasant sound of his voice after days on the move was an enjoyable side effect.

"Surely you know Stephanie that for you I have no end of compliments" she hears his steps halt. A step forward. The sound of shouting, laughter and TV spilling over the line. He resumes. "You know very well that you're my favourite Stephanie. You wouldn't want to disappoint me, would you?" his tone is still pleasant, but although the dagger is sheathed, it's still very much there.

She snorts, feeling some of her own tension unwind as the transaction before her comes to a close. Showtime.

"Have I ever?" she asks him softly. Then hangs up.

They have promises to keep for each other, ledgers un-concluded and being on home ground near the very same people she once left behind doesn't change that. Even if she wanted it to.

"Gentlemen" she calls as she steps into the moonlight and their guest's heads snap towards her on guard, but halting to pull their weapons at the warning stares of her own men.

"Let's have a nice little chat, shall we?"

* * *

><p>She's no longer the Stephanie people say no to, and no one dares laugh.<p>

There is no longer any question existing. It does not go unanswered anymore.

It is a resounding, '_yes, in the palm of _your _hand. _

_And they shall not deny you'_

* * *

><p><em>Hey all! Thought I'd pop in for a visit! I'm sorry I didn't get to carry on posting as I was, I got a new job and I have been unbelievably busy since. <em>

_I wrote this months ago but didnt post it as i wanted to extend it but have now decided to keep you guys going to put it up and to take my time with the extra bit like i wanted to since things are getting a bit more juicy!_

_Truly sorry to have disappeared again but hopefully i can pop in every few weeks now. _

_Hope you liked it! Thank you for all your love! _

_(And to margaret for making sure I dont leave my baby behind!)_


	11. Start The Clock

**Tank's POV, the day of Steph's disappearance**

The tick-tock of the clock in the room could have been the ringing of bell, tolling a death chant.

He was lucky there was a damn clock in the room. Usually men got sent to the basement. Rooms of concrete with no comfort, no light and no solace.

At least he got the bland conference room and a chair. True he'd foregone the chair and chosen to lean against the wall arms crossed with his eyes fixed upon the door. He wasn't letting his guard down.

The fact it was his best friend he was waiting for didn't change a thing. IF anything it made it a thousand times worse.

His heartbeat was a steady tha-thump pulsing in his ears. If Steph could hear his inner thoughts now she'd make some kind of joke about thumper the rabbit and how he ought to get a spring in his step.

Just thinking about it made him smile and shake his head unwillingly. He could hear her voice as clear as day. It had only been this morning that he'd sent her on her way but it felt like an age.

In the space of an hour he'd gone from absentmindedly wishing her well and trying not to worry whilst getting back to his work to believing his best friend was going to become his murderer and there would never be a body for his mother to mourn.

On the plus side that meant there would never be a gravestone with 'Pierre' written on it.

Then again, Knowing Ranger's sense of humour he'd make sure there was for shits and giggles.

The click of the door brought his attention back to the room, and the man in his thoughts.

Ranger uncharacteristically didn't look at him as he slowly walked in and carefully shut the door before him and then made sure it was locked. He turned to face the room and then Tank.

His face as usual gave nothing away. But Tank knew Ranger and silent Ranger was fucking terrifying. Steph thought he was silent usually but she was wrong. That was quiet Ranger, in the zone Ranger.

The times she's seen silent Ranger she'd been too caught up in whatever mess they were in to really freak out about him.

This was either going to be a very long or very short conversation.

And it likely weren't gonna be the kind of conversation where they used their vocal chords.

Tank straightened up from the wall, facing his friend dead on as they stood like opposites, but didn't say anything. That was for Ranger.

"Did you know?" Ranger's tone was calm, reasonable.

It scared the shit out of him.

He didn't dare ask the obvious question. Not now. "That she was leaving or that she'd accept my help?"

Ranger didn't bat an eye. "Both"

"That she was leaving was obvious. When? I didn't know til she did. I don't think she did either. That she let me help her was a risky bet I expected to back fire until it didn't"

Ranger's mouth twitched but it wasn't with humour.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he stood motionless, eyes void of any kind of emotion or reaction to the words he was speaking.

"What was there to say? Hey Ranger your woman's skipping town but don't bother to mention anything to her" he knew he was playing a dangerous game by being sarcastic but he couldn't help himself.

Stephanie had rubbed off on him way too much. "If I'd said anything to you you'd have confronted her and maybe she wouldn't have gone but it wouldn't have what's best for her"

"What's best for her" Ranger asked, his voice was low and dangerous as he took a step towards me. "How the fuck do you know what's best for her?" He demanded, still advancing his eyes dark and flashing with his anger.

"How the fuck do you" I fired back, tired of this back and forth.

Ranger choked out a low laugh. "You think it doesn't matter that she's off on her own? That I wouldn't be bothered about what you'd done? Wouldn't care?"

"Yeah that's what I thought" the words were out of my mouth before I even had time to think them.

Ranger stopped dead. Only twice had I seen Ranger freeze out of sheer surprise in my lifetime. It wasn't making me feel any better.

"I'm pretty sure that's what she thought too. She's out there running from you. Did you know that?" Ranger stayed silent but his fist clenched as he tried to hold himself back.

I couldn't help a snort of hysterical laughter from spilling out. "She's gonna spend her time hiding and ducking to avoid you cause she thinks you'll chase her, not 'cause you care, not because you want her back in your life but you want your fucking homeostasis. You want your fucking status quo that she ain't never gonna fit into. For a man whos' never wanted a routine life you've sure as hell made a good go of it. Ain't no amount of firestorms and shootouts gonna change that"

Ranger still stood frozen and soundless but suddenly it wasn't as nerve wracking as it was before. I remembered why I'd put us all through this in the first place. Why it was worth not only for me and Steph but also for everyone in her life.

"She cares about you. That's why she left. 'Cause she don't want you hanging round her picking up the pieces when things go wrong. She wants to be your equal. Your friend.

She ain't stupid. She's smart and beautiful and funny and any man out there would give his fucking legs for a conversation with her and you're pissed' cause she decided to stop playing your fucked up mind games"

I rocked back on my heels, only just noticing after my rant that in my anger I'd moved forward until Ranger and I were face to face, every single muscle in my body tense with adrenaline. My once still heart was beating out a fucking samba beat.

Shaking my head I fell back, practically vibrating with energy. Taking a glance at Ranger who was still yet to speak made towards the door.

I'd just unlocked it and swung it open when I heard Ranger call my name.

"Tank" he sounded exhausted. I let out a heavy sigh and turned to look at him. He was still my brothers in arms.

And that was my mistake.

I never saw his fist coming but if I had I might have had time to think 'fucking hell' before he knocked me on my ass and out of consciousness.

* * *

><p><em>Oh dear oh dear!<em>

_Hey everyone, this one is most certainly rough around the edges but I knew you were all eager to see this happen! I wanted ya'll to have this now as I'm hoping to update again on xmas eve. _

_I know some of you may have received reply's to old reviews, I apologise but some of my reviews got mixed up in my inbox so i never got chance to reply to them. I appreciate each and every one of you so much so i couldn't bear leaving them unanswered, I am in the process of replying to the last few._

_Hope you all enjoy this, rest assured there is plenty more to come that fills in the gaps much more for the sake of your curiosity! _

_Much love and Happy Christmas!_


	12. Ground Zero

**Chapter Twelve – Tank POV – Ground Zero**

Life without Stephanie was different.

For all that he adored and admired Stephanie and given her the last push she needed to say goodbye to her life in Trenton for a while, he had underestimated the impact it would have.

Stephanie's disappearance had thrown Trenton into chaos. Tank didn't even realise that Steph knew that many people. Apparently, she did.

Everyone from Morelli's grandmother to Alexander Ramos had something to say about it. In fact, it worried him immensely that every major crime family had expressed some kind of feeling on her absence. It didn't seem to surprise Ranger.

Ranger had not kept as much distance from Tank as he'd expected. Sure, after their blow out in the conference room Ranger did not invite him back into his confidence. They'd never exactly been chatty friends, but he'd always known Ranger trusted him with his back.

He'd seemed to have gotten the worst of it out of his system after approximately two weeks of constant sparring in the gym ending with so many injuries to Tank that Bobby had wanted to take him to the hospital to get him checked out in case he had some kind of internal bleeding.

Tank had shaken him off, insisting he was fine (and he was, he didn't get the nickname Tank for being easy to take down).

After that Ranger seemed to ease off. That didn't mean he relaxed. .

Ranger was _pissed_.

Pissed Ranger was an even calmer Ranger. It was what made him so good at what he did.

Not this time. This time Ranger was turning Trenton upside down and over looking for Stephanie.

He'd gone to her family, to the Bonds office, even willingly interviewing Vinnie for hours to see if he knew anything. He stooped to cooperating with Morelli once they'd realised neither knew anything more than the other.

He'd already tried Tank of course, but he kept his mouth shut, no matter what Ranger did to him he couldn't let Stephanie down like that. Not without giving her a running chance first.

The more dead ends Ranger ran into the more frustrated he got. He'd started spending whatever time he didn't spend looking for Stephanie taking his anger out in the gym.

When he wasn't battering his knuckles to bloody shreds he was working out far past what was healthy as if he wasn't exhausted enough already. He said he was sleeping but he knew for a fact Ranger wasn't. It wasn't like Tank was sleeping either. With Stephanie gone, he was back to his days when the only back Ranger needed him to watch was his. He knew Steph would have been disappointed in him if he'd given her away to Ranger. But she would fucking strangle him if he let any harm come to Ranger. Especially while looking for her.

After a few weeks Tank receives a mysterious postcard. It's marked from Michigan but he's betting Steph's nowhere near there anymore. Ranger had taught her well, and she was sharp. He's relieved to know she's alright. At least physically, He has no idea what kind of mental toll this is taking on her but tells himself if anyone could do this, take themselves away from everything g they know and survive, thrive even its Stephanie.

He receives postcards every month or so. All while he helps Ranger search for her all over the fucking U.S. Ranger correctly figures out that she's taking public transport, hopping on and off randomly and she's obviously not travelling under her own name.

Ranger's got every man he can spare and then some looking for her but he hasn't got shit to go on. He's pulled in contract workers to cover shifts left behind by the more experienced on his team he's got searching for her high and low.

He's out on the streets every day that he's not on a plane or making phone calls to contacts pulling every card he can to find her. For the first month or two, Tank's betting Ranger doesn't have a clue nor care what state his business is in. It isn't just the paperwork piling up on his desk, it's the way Ranger looks tired in a way Tank's never seen him, not even on his darkest days in the military or the toughest days on the streets.

He's picking fights on every dark street in Trenton, reminding the low life's who he is in case one of them knows something. Tank's sure Ranger knows they haven't got shit on Stephanie, he just can't stand feeling so out of control for the first time in a long time that all he can do is use what power he still has.

He's bigger than he used to be, so many hours spent and his own men when he's not ponding the streets busting skips way below his own league because it's what Stephanie would usually handle.

Tank feels like shit when Ranger tries calling in contacts who apologetically say they've got nothing when he knows it's because he got there first. He'd had to pull some damn convincing acts to get these people to bullshit Ranger Manoso, but the one person Tank would take a bullet for before Ranger is Stephanie. If only because if he didn't there wouldn't be much Ranger left to take a bullet for.

Ranger really isn't a marriage and commitment guy. Ranger loves Julie to his bones but he's not family material. Ranger once mentioned something that sounded like he'd made this clear to Stephanie when Tank asked why she wasn't in his bed.

Ranger could have any woman he wanted, and it was obvious to Tank the only one he showed any interest in was one Ms Plum. Tank had called him a damn fool, but Ranger had just shrugged. Said if Stephanie got too close they'd both regret it.

He reminded Tank for all the good they did now there were days where they were the very opposite. Not just in the past, but in the present too. That a woman like Stephanie couldn't, wouldn't accept any bullshit Ranger gave her.

Tank had told him maybe he ought to try being honest with her. "Looks like she's already pretty damn close" he'd commented. Pointing out all the times not only had Ranger bled his time, his men and his money for her, but also all the times that Steph had not even hesitated to lay herself on the line for Ranger.

Ranger had warned him to drop it, making it clear if Tank told Steph anything he would no longer have a place at his side.

Looking at the state his friend was in now he wish he was out of his life if that meant Stephanie was in it.

After six months he receives a phone call. He's so relieved to hear Steph's voice he almost forgets to keep the reality of her absence from Trenton from her.

"He's okay isn't he? Still eating rabbit food and all, right?" she laughs but its forced, he can tell he should have kept his mouth shut and tries to reassure her that Ranger's doing ok.

He doesn't tell her that Ranger doesn't sleep, barely eats but he's still pushing himself harder than he ever has. The way he now stalks round like a dark cloud hanging over Rangeman.

Steph's family are devastated by her leaving months on, Helen Plum has even called Rangeman numerous times, not even accusing them but begging for anything Ranger might be able to give her.

He used to take her calls, reassuring her he was doing everything he can. Now the guys know not to even bother telling him she's calling. Her family and friends, Morelli even might be horrified that Steph's disappeared, but Ranger is what can only be described as lost.

Tank's relieved when Steph tells him she's going to James. He's not Tank's first choice of comrade but he knows he'll look after Steph. More than that he knows Steph can take care of herself. She needs this. He can't stop her now.

It's only the next day that Ranger stumbles on her trail, or rather Lester does. If anybody has been beating themselves up about Steph's disappearance as much as Ranger its Lester and Bobby.

They've been doing the bare minimum of their duties, spending all their free time searching for their Bombshell. He's had to pick up the slack around d Rangeman and he knows they don't care. Ranger obviously would rather they'd spend their time hunting for Steph than running his company.

They treat him civilly, but the trust they once had is irrelevant now. Tank's not the enemy, but he might as well as be. They can't be angry at Steph, so they have to be angry at him. Tank doesn't mind. It's the way he'd rather it be too.

Ranger's not quite so good at compartmentalising as he used to be. In the first few weeks it was Tank who bore his anger. As the search turns into months Tank can see the tide start to turn towards Steph too. His frustration marring the very affection that keeps him searching for her.

Ranger's started sending men out watching the transport links in various locations, anywhere he can think that Stephanie might be drawn to. Tank feels real fear for the first time in a long time when Cal bursts in to the conference room they're using to search for Steph to shout that they'd found a hotel she'd spent a few nights in.

Ranger flashes a look at Tank before he starts barking orders, heading out to the airstrip they use for the Rangeman jet to go search for her himself. He can see Ranger believe he might just catch her if he tries hard enough.

The core team all go except Tank. Hector take his place instead, he gives Tank a nod as he leaves to follow the boss. Hector has been the most relaxed after Steph's take off. He knows it's because hector and Stephanie share an understanding that even Ranger doesn't get.

Hector's the only one who never had a problem with what he's done. Even the new contract workers had to learn the hard way to take Tank's rule as their gospel at Rangeman, obviously sensing the discord in the air. He'd done a pretty good job at beating them into subordination, most of them only knew him as their CO as Ranger was so absent these days.

One day a fairly new recruit Sanderson, decided he was cocky enough to try his luck. He'd seen the conference room full of scattered files, pictures and reports of all Steph's bounty hunting history and then some. Even some pictures of her with Ranger, (though never entangled in the way that Tank had sometimes seen them. The only person who wouldn't have met certain death to do so).

Sanderson challenges Tank in the gym. It's mostly just an annoyance until Sanderson starts talking shit about Stephanie. Tank's about to give him so much hurt his own mother won't recognise him but he never gets the chance. Turns out Ranger's actually around his men for the first time in months. He hears Sanderson talking shit and that's that.

It takes seven men to get Ranger off and away from Sanderson. All the time his eyes are obsidian, he never shows any emotion. Even lets Tank pull him from the room and dismiss the others.

Sanderson has to be taken to the ER. He had internal bleeding and more than one organ in trouble. The official story is it happened to him by way of a skip. No one dares contradict that story and those who know Steph regret they didn't get their chance to lay their hands on him.

Somehow Morelli hears about Sanderson and the next time he's at the cop shop he runs into him, expecting Morelli to threaten to take Ranger in. Instead Morelli surprises him, he doesn't say how how knows what happened but he makes it clear to Tank no one at the TPD will be chasing up Sanderson's case despite it being quite obvious he was nowhere near a skip when the incident happened.

Morelli looks almost as shit as Ranger. Tank had expected him to be stepping out with someone else by now. It turns out he'd underestimated the cop. Every so often he comes by Rangeman, when Ranger's actually there the two disappear into his office for a couple of hours, pooling resources and information. It doesn't help any.

It's a call to close to comfort that day Ranger nearly gets his hands on Stephanie but she just manages to slide out of his grasp. Tank knows how Lester got the info on Steph's whereabouts. Knows that Lester knows she called him. Other than a flats stare when they return empty handed Lester makes no acknowledgement of it and somehow manages to avoid letting Ranger in on the know.

It speaks volumes that Ranger hasn't guessed it for himself. It scares the shit out of Tank that losing Steph has done this to his friend.

After that day something seems to flip in Ranger. He still sends men out searching, still uses every contact he has but he cleans his shit up. He actually sleeps that night for the first time in a long time. He shaves, has a shower. Gets dressed in fresh gear that's not blood stained or torn and actually shows up to run his business again.

It takes about a year for Ranger to stop spending most of his time searching for Stephanie. He still looks for her, but Tank knows if he's finding anything, it's not helping. He seems to resign himself to trusting her to take care of herself. He himself hasn't heard from Steph in a long time. He tries to convince himself he's not worried but he is.

He starts to doubt that letting Stephanie go wasn't the biggest mistake he's ever made.

By complete chance one day when he and Ranger are on a business call to an old Ranger acquaintance he tells them something that chills Tank to the bone.

"She's a feisty one. Made a bit of a name for herself actually" Cameron's been rambling on about his contacts as if to prove he's still in their league.

Tank hasn't been paying attention and he knows Ranger hasn't either, they're only here because Ranger has to start doing some damage control or his business will collapse. No business means no resources to find Stephanie.

Something about Cameron's ramblings catches Tank's attention. He sees Ranger switch his focus to Cameron too.

"She?" Tanks asks nonchalantly, knowing that he's playing with fire asking in front of Ranger but by this point it's been 18 months and he's worrying more than a mother hen that he's fucked up Stephanie's safety.

He knows the chances of it being Stephanie are incredibly slim, but James has been known to associate with London based Angelo before. It seems too much of a fucking coincidence. He doesn't think Ranger's made the connection all the way back to him yet, he's just grasping for anything at this point. He has no idea how close he is, but it won't be much longer before he puts two and two together and Tank's back in the firing line.

Cameron seems thrilled that he's got the full attention of both men now, not even pretending to still be installing his security system. "Oh yeah" he grins. "She's quite the hottie. She's in England running with Angelo so she's not big time" he shrugs but leans closer to them and starts to whisper like he's got a secret. "But rumour is she packs a punch you know what I mean?" Cameron laughs.

Tank imagines he thinks he's some kind of Lester character but the truth is he's hasn't got half the charm Lester has and if it wasn't for all the ass kissing he and Ranger now have to do to rectify the past year or so they wouldn't have even stepped into the same state as him .

"What's her name?" Ranger asks Cameron quietly, but by the way Cameron's stupid grin drops right off his face he knows that Ranger's not playing games.

Smarter than he looks he doesn't hesitate to answer. "Stephanie"

Ranger gives Cameron no room to breathe, suddenly in his space and looming so much that Tank stands to interrupt but backs off at the hard look Ranger gives him. He hasn't seen his friend look this alive in well, eighteen months.

"She's in London? With Angelo?" Cameron looks confused at Ranger's question, looking towards Tank as if he'll help him out but all he finds is another laser intense stare.

"Yeah" Ranger relaxes ever so slightly and Tank can see that he's ready to be out the door and on a plane to London quicker than Cameron can take his next breath. Except for what he says next. "Well she was. I heard she headed back 'cross the ocean"

Ranger freezes. "Who is she running with?" his tone is composed just barely, but Tank can see he's slipping.

Cameron's freaking out now. He's not half the soldier he's always pretended to be. "Look I don't know man" Ranger grabs his shirt to lug him forward. "Okay okay! Dude!" he stresses, stumbling over his own feet as Ranger lets him go.

Cameron straightens his shirt out, giving them both a look that says he wants them as far away from him as possible as soon as possible. "I heard she might be with the Spider"

It was Tank's turn to ask questions. "The spider?" he queried. By the look on Ranger's face he was more familiar with him than Tank was.

"Yeah y'know" Cameron's trying to pull back some facade again, act as if he nearly didn't just piss himself at having Ranger in his personal space. "Araña?" Tank gives him a look that makes it clear he doesn't know but wants to know right now.

"Jeez man I don't know what to tell you if you don't know. He's a big guy, and one I wouldn't want to meet. He's got a rep. I heard He sometimes goes by the name of Alejandro. Don't know if that's his real one though" Cameron's back to his nonchalant shrugging act again, trying to shuffle them out of his business.

They let him, they have no desire to stick around now. Tank stopped listening to him as soon as he said Alejandro. That is name that Tank definitely knows, and by the look on his face Ranger knows exactly what it means.

Outside in the dazzling sunshine of Los Angeles they can hear the laughter and noise of happy carefree crowds. They share a look that makes Tank scared for the first time in a long time.

More scared than he's ever been in his entire life.

Because there is only one way to describe the look in his friends eyes.

And it is fear.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Helloooo everyone! I wish I could have been sooner but life is handing out a bit of a beating I'm afraid. I have been ill however for the past few days and I have spent nearly all of my time supposed to be resting writing bits and pieces for this. And I mean a whole lot of words, more than I have written for all my stories combined so far. Some of it is the next few chapters which you will soon see, other bits and pieces you won't see until much later and others you won't see at all. <strong>_

_**I'm really not sure about this one and it wasn't planned but it felt like it fit. So enjoy, let me know what you think, and as always thank you so so much for all your support. I will also take this time to reply to any reviews from the last chapter that I haven't had chance to answer yet. **_

_**Enjoy!**_


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